[Personal Post]

Lighthouse Beach is one of the smaller beaches of Port Huron, Michigan. With roughly 900 feet of waterfront it shares enticing views of Lake Huron, The Blue Water Bridge and the Canadian shoreline. On a day like this, when the temperature is 30 degrees warmer than the average in February, Lighthouse Beach turned out the be the best unplanned place to be.

I was in charge of girls’ day for my eight-year-old daughter and myself. And at first I was a little worried about my lack of “cool” things to do. Her six-year-old brother, spending the day with dad, I knew would come back with the most excellent stories of their adventures. But with every hour that passed, our smiles and laid back attitudes matured. We drove with the windows down, listening to our third Taylor Swift CD of the day, oblivious to anything that didn’t keep us outdoors.

As we walked the waters edge of Lighthouse Beach, stepping over ice that reminded us of snowcone ice, shedding layers of clothing to keep up with the warmth of the sun, we shared conversations that brought us closer as mother and daughter and giggled at the silliness of people in the water in February.  It was such an odd day, but one I never want to forget. It all felt so perfectly unplanned.

Approaching the end of the beach I caught, what appeared to be, another mother-daughter moment. Two women carving time out for each other. Sitting side by side, one on a blanket, the other a lawnchair, deep in conversation. Snapping a quick photo of this hypnotizing moment, I cherished their time together, even as a complete stranger.  I put my arm around my daughter and thought, “I can see us now…”